VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH) belongs to the Health & Biotech Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with PPH. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to PPH
PPH charges 0.36% annually. There are 14 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF | 0.08% | 3.22B | Oct 2013 | PPH vs FHLC | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.08% | 42.10B | Dec 1998 | PPH vs XLV | |
| Vanguard Health Care ETF | 0.09% | 20.40B | Jan 2004 | PPH vs VHT | |
| VanEck Healthcare TruSector ETF | 0.10% | 850.50K | Apr 2026 | PPH vs TRUH | |
| Portfolio Building Block World Pharma and Biotech ... | 0.13% | 933.15M | Nov 2025 | PPH vs PBPH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to PPH
PPH has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 74. There are 28 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 96 | 47.80M | Dec 2014 | PPH vs BBC | |
| iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | 95 | 1.65B | May 2006 | PPH vs IHE | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | 95 | 911.09M | Sep 2016 | PPH vs FTXH | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 95 | 201.57M | Dec 2014 | PPH vs SBIO | |
| Invesco Dynamic Pharmaceuticals ETF | 94 | 472.10M | Jun 2005 | PPH vs PJP |
Top Performing PPH Alternatives (YTD)
PPH is at 6.76% YTD. There are 34 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 36.76%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARK Genomic Revolution Multi-Sector ETF | 36.76% | 1.73B | Oct 2014 | PPH vs ARKG | |
| AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 36.69% | 48.53M | Sep 2021 | PPH vs PSIL | |
| Roundhill UNH WeeklyPay ETF | 28.89% | 7.27M | Dec 2025 | PPH vs UNHW | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 27.03% | 47.80M | Dec 2014 | PPH vs BBC | |
| SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF | 25.67% | 206.72M | Sep 2011 | PPH vs XHS |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to PPH
PPH has 17.90% 1-year volatility. There are 25 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF | 0.00% | 12.73M | Oct 2015 | PPH vs CNCR | |
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | PPH vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | 8.66% | 10.09M | Jun 2007 | PPH vs SPAQ | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 10.75% | 21.55M | Jul 2025 | PPH vs XLVI | |
| Milliman Healthcare Inflation Plus ETF | 10.92% | 982.35K | Apr 2026 | PPH vs MHIP |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to PPH
PPH has a 1-year max drawdown of -10.76%. There are 20 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | PPH vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | -4.20% | 10.09M | Jun 2007 | PPH vs SPAQ | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | -7.47% | 911.09M | Sep 2016 | PPH vs FTXH | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | -8.14% | 21.55M | Jul 2025 | PPH vs XLVI | |
| Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF | -8.34% | 75.06M | Jun 2021 | PPH vs IBBQ |
Other ETFs from VanEck
The 10 most viewed VanEck ETFs shown here include SMH, GDX, NLR and span 13 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $68B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VanEck Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 88 | 51.46% | 68.10B | Dec 2011 | PPH vs SMH | |
| VanEck Gold Miners ETF | Gold, Precious Metals | 36 | -11.33% | 22.65B | May 2006 | PPH vs GDX | |
| VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF | Uranium, Alternative Energy Equities, Energy Equities | 13 | -10.20% | 3.81B | Aug 2007 | PPH vs NLR | |
| VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | Gold, Precious Metals | 38 | -13.28% | 6.89B | Nov 2009 | PPH vs GDXJ | |
| VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 41 | 5.78% | 11.80B | Apr 2012 | PPH vs MOAT | |
| VanEck Fabless Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 68 | 45.86% | 249.42M | Aug 2024 | PPH vs SMHX | |
| VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF | Rare Earth & Strategic Metals | 33 | -8.51% | 1.90B | Oct 2010 | PPH vs REMX | |
| VanEck BDC Income ETF | Financials Equities | 5 | -4.84% | 1.57B | Feb 2013 | PPH vs BIZD | |
| VanEck Bitcoin Trust | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -27.01% | 1.05B | Jan 2024 | PPH vs HODL | |
| VanEck IG Floating Rate ETF | Corporate Bonds, Ultrashort Bond | 99 | 2.70% | 3.00B | Apr 2011 | PPH vs FLTR |
Often Compared With PPH
Investors most often compare PPH with XPH, FPHAX, VOO. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare PPH with Any Fund or Stock
Compare PPH with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair PPH with funds that move differently
VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to PPH.
Explore PPH Diversifiers